The present invention concerns a procedure for producing hydroquinone by oxidizing a starting material mixture comprising a component containing tertiary alkylaromatic and a component containing hydroperoxides produced in the oxidizing reaction of the alkylaromatics. The mixture is selectively oxidized with the aid of oxygen at a temperature from about 60.degree. to 180.degree. C., with dihydroperoxide of p-diisopropylbenzene then being separated from the mixture and decomposed by acid catalysis at about 20.degree.-150.degree. C. to form hydroquinone. The invention also relates to producing the dihydroperoxide of p-diisopropylbenzene and separating the same from the reaction mixture.
It is known in the art that aliphatic hydrocarbons such as isobutane, 2-methylbutane, decahydronaphthalene, and alkyl aromatics such as cumene, methylnaphthalene, diisopropylbenzene, etc. can be oxidized with the aid of oxygen to form equivalent hydroperoxides so that either the tertiary or .alpha.-aromatic carbon reacts. It is also known in the art that these hydroperoxides react under the effect of acid catalysts to produce the corresponding phenol or alcohol, and aldehyde or ketone.
As known in the art, such a procedure has been used, for instance, in producing phenol from cumene, cresols from cymene, or resorcinol from m-diisopropylbenzene, and hydroquinone from p-diisopropylbenzene. In the prior art procedures, resorcinol and hydroquinone have been produced using pure, relatively expensive m- or p-diisopropylbenzenes as starting materials.